Phoenix, Arizona — Overview
The heart of the Sonoran Desert is an unlikely place for the fifth largest urban population in the US, but there sits Greater Phoenix, with its maze of roadways, and over 200 golf courses and resorts. Saguaro (sa-war-oe) cacti stand like soldiers, jutting out of sandy, brush landscape much like its many shopping malls. Today Phoenix and neighboring Scottsdale, both often called The Valley of the Sun, have become a mecca for snowbirds (those wanting to escape winter), retirees, golfers and spectator sports enthusiasts. Metro Phoenix has professional hockey, baseball, basketball, football teams and is spring training host to nine major league baseball teams. TGEN, Motorola, INTEL and Honeywell make the metro area a big technology hub but being the self-proclaimed 'spa capital of the world,' it is also the place for pampering and indulgence.
